Seeking to cool tension with Israel, US to send national security adviser, UN envoy to AIPAC

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio responds to reporters about the problems in passing the Homeland Security budget because of Republican efforts to block President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The House voted last month to end Homeland Security funding on Saturday unless Obama reverses his order to protect millions of immigrants from possible deportation. After Democratic filibusters blocked the bill in the Senate, the chamber's Republican leaders agreed this week to offer a "clean" funding measure, with no immigration strings attached. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2015 file photo, National Security Adviser Susan Rice speaks at the Brookings Institution in Washington. In a move that may ease _ or exacerbate _ spiraling tensions with Israel over a potential Iran nuclear deal, the White House has decided against snubbing America’s leading pro-Israel lobby and will send President Barack Obama’s national security adviser and U.N. ambassador to address its annual policy conference. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
(The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2014 file photo, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power speaks in Washington. In a move that may ease _ or exacerbate _ spiraling tensions with Israel over a potential Iran nuclear deal, the White House has decided against snubbing America’s leading pro-Israel lobby and will send President Barack Obama’s national security adviser and U.N. ambassador to address its annual policy conference. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
(The Associated Press)

WASHINGTON – In a bid to ease soaring tensions with Israel over a potential Iran nuclear deal, the White House has decided against snubbing America's leading pro-Israel lobby and will send President Barack Obama's national security adviser and U.N. ambassador to address its annual policy conference.

The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee will announce Thursday that the Obama administration has confirmed that national security adviser Susan Rice and U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power will speak to its conference this weekend. That's according to people familiar with the decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity before the announcement.

U.S. officials had floated the idea of sending a non-Cabinet level official to show displeasure with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming speech to Congress in which he will argue against an Iran deal.